Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes following operations. A semiconductor substrate is received. A first semiconductive layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of dopants is formed in a first portion of the first semiconductive layer. A second portion of the first semiconductive layer is removed to form a patterned first semiconductive layer. A first sidewall profile of the first portion after the removing of the second portion of the first semiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting a distribution of the plurality of dopants in the first portion. An underneath layer is patterned to form a hole in the underneath layer using the patterned first semiconductive layer as a mask to pattern. A sidewall profile of the hole in the underneath layer is controlled by the first sidewall profile of the first portion of the first semiconductive layer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 16/043,513,filed on Jul. 24, 2018, entitled of “SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FORMANUFACTURING THE SAME”, which is claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/592,056 filed on Nov. 29, 2017; each of theseapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

The size and distance between device structures is decreasing as thedevice concentration on integrated circuits continues to increase.However, the vertical heights of the gaps or trenches duringmanufacturing in the device normally do not decrease as fast as theirhorizontal widths. As a result, the gap or trench structures have largerratios of height to width (i.e., higher aspect ratios).

While the ability to make device structures with increasing aspectratios allows more of the structures (e.g., transistors, capacitors,diodes, etc.) to be packed onto the same surface area of a substrate, ithas also created fabrication problems. One of these problems is thedifficulty of filling deep narrow gaps or trenches without creating avoid or seam in the material that fills the gaps or trenches. As thegaps or trenches during manufacturing decrease in size, and depositingmaterial into the gaps or trenches becomes increasingly difficult, andincreasingly likely to form a void.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing asemiconductor structure, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 arecross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricated at somestages, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device fabricatedat some stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 11C illustrate the sidewall profiles of thepatterned semiconductive layer, in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B illustrate the via hole according to differentpatterned semiconductive layer, in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a semiconductor device fabricated atsome stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 14A and FIG. 15A are cross-sectional views of a semiconductordevice fabricated at some stages along the line A-A in FIG. 13, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14B and FIG. 15B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductordevice fabricated at some stages along the line B-B in FIG. 13, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a semiconductor device fabricated atsome stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 17A, FIG. 18A, FIG. 19A, FIG. 20A, FIG. 21A and FIG. 22A arecross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricated at somestages along the line A-A in FIG. 16, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17B, FIG. 18B, FIG. 19B and FIG. 22B are cross-sectional views of asemiconductor device fabricated at some stages along the line B-B inFIG. 16, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C illustrate the sidewall profiles of thepatterned semiconductive layer, in accordance with some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 24A, FIG. 24B and FIG. 24C illustrate the sidewall profiles of thegate structure, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below. Itshould be appreciated, however, that the present disclosure providesmany applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a widevariety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed aremerely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

In one or more embodiments of present disclosure, a plurality of dopantsmay be formed in a semiconductive layer used as a mask layer or a dummygate structure. In some embodiments, the sidewall profile of the dummygate structure may be adjustable with a doped bottom portion. In someembodiments, after removing the dummy gate structure, the aspect ratioand critical dimension of the gap profile may be improved, and thus thegap fill ability for the gate structure may be improved. In one or moreembodiments of present disclosure, while the doped semiconductive layerused as a mask layer, the profile of a gate trench or an opening formedby the doped semiconductive layer may be adjustable accordingly. In someembodiments, the opening profile may be enlarged and the bridge issue ofthe via hole in the subsequent operations may be alleviated.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing asemiconductor structure, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the method100 includes operations 101-104. In operation 101, a semiconductorsubstrate is received. In operation 102, a first semiconductive layerover the semiconductor substrate is formed. In operation 103, aplurality of dopants are formed in a first portion of the firstsemiconductive layer. In operation 104, a second portion of the firstsemiconductive layer is removed to form a patterned first semiconductivelayer. A first sidewall profile of the first portion after the removingthe second portion of the first semiconductive layer is controlled byadjusting a distribution of the plurality of dopants in the firstportion.

FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9 arecross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricated at somestages, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 2 and operation 101 in FIG. 1, a semiconductorsubstrate 200 is received. In some embodiment, the semiconductorsubstrate 200 may be a silicon substrate. In other embodiments, thesemiconductor substrate 200 may include other semiconductor materials,such as silicon germanium, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, or thelike. In other embodiments, the semiconductor substrate 200 is a p-typesemiconductor substrate (P-Substrate) or an n-type semiconductorsubstrate (N-Substrate).

In some embodiments, a transistor structure is formed on thesemiconductor substrate 200. In some embodiments, the transistorstructure includes source/drain regions 201, and a gate 202. In someembodiments, the gate 202 is positioned over a top surface of thesemiconductor substrate 200 and between the source/drain regions 201.

In some embodiments, an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) 203 is formed overthe semiconductor substrate 200. In some embodiments, the ILD 203 mayinclude a dielectric layer 2031, a metal nitride layer 2032, an oxidelayer 2033, or other suitable layers. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. In some embodiments, thedielectric layer 2031 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 200. Insome embodiments, the metal nitride layer 2032 is formed on thedielectric layer 2031. The metal nitride layer 2032 may include titaniumnitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), or the like. In some embodiments,the oxide layer 2033 is formed on the metal nitride layer 2032. Theoxide layer 2033 may include a silicon oxide (SiO_(x)), a germaniumoxide (GeO₂), a nitrogen-bearing oxide (e.g., nitrogen-bearing SiO₂), anitrogen-doped oxide (e.g., N₂-implanted SiO₂), or the like.

Referring to FIG. 2 and operation 102 in FIG. 1, a semiconductive layer204 over the semiconductor substrate 200 is formed. In some embodiments,the semiconductive layer 204 is formed over the plurality of layers 203.The material of the semiconductive layer 204 may include silicon (Si),silicon germanium (SiGe), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon phosphide(SiP), silicon phosphorus carbide (SiPC), or other suitablesemiconductor materials.

Referring to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, a mask such as a tri-layermask 205 may be formed over the semiconductive layer 204. In someembodiments, the tri-layer mask 205 includes a bottom layer 2051, amiddle layer 2052, and a top layer 2053. It is understood that in otherembodiments, one or more layers of the tri-layer mask may be omitted, oradditional layers may be provided as a part of the tri-layer mask, andthe layers may be formed in difference sequences.

Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the top layer 2053 ispatterned by a photolithography operation. In some embodiments, thephotolithography operation patterns the top layer 2053 into aphotoresist mask, which may have one or more trenches or openings thatexpose the middle layer 2052. Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments,one or more etching operations may be performed, and the top layer 2053is used as a mask to etch the bottom layer 2051 and the middle layer2052. The top layer 2053 is removed at the end of the etching operation.The bottom layer 2051 and the middle layer 2052 are unremoved tofunction as a mask layer for subsequent operation. The tri-layer mask205 is patterned to expose first portions 204A of the semiconductivelayer 204 and cover second portions 204B of the semiconductive layer204.

Referring to FIG. 6 and operation 103 in FIG. 1, a plurality of dopantsD are formed in the first portions 204A of the semiconductive layer 204.In some embodiments, the plurality of dopants D include metallic dopantsand/or semiconductive dopants. The dopants may include Boron (B),Phosphorus (P), Lanthanum (La), Ytterbium (Yb), Cerium (Ce), Gadolinium(Gd), Cadmium (Cd), or other suitable dopants, or a combination thereof.These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to belimiting. In some embodiments, the plurality of dopants D are formed inthe first portions 204A by performing an ion implantation. The dopants Dmay be implanted to the first portions 204A exposed from the tri-layermask 205. In some embodiments, the covered second portions 204B areundoped.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device fabricatedat some stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Referring to FIG. 10, in some other embodiments, theplurality of dopants D may be formed by an imprinting operation. Forexample, a dopant source film 206 is formed on the semiconductive layer204, and configured to imprint dopants into the semiconductive layer204. In some embodiments, the dopant source film 206 is heated toimprint dopants into the semiconductive layer 204. For example, athermal transferring pattern 205′ may be formed over the dopant sourcefilm 206 to transfer heat to the dopant source film 206 during theimprinting operation. The tri-layer mask 205 described above may also beused as the thermal transferring pattern 205′. In some embodiments, thedopant source film 206 includes silicate glass film. In otherembodiments, the dopant source film 206 may include phosphosilicateglass (PSG) film or borosilicate glass (BSG) film. The thermaltransferring pattern 205′ is formed according to doping requirement. Insome embodiments, the thermal transferring pattern 205′ is formed tocover the first portion 204A of the semiconductive layer 204 and exposethe second portion 204B of the semiconductive layer 204. After theforming of the thermal transferring pattern 205′, an thermal operationsuch as an annealing operation is performed to imprint the plurality ofdopants D from the dopant source film 206 to the semiconductive layer204. The annealing operation may transfer heat through the thermaltransferring pattern 205′ to the covered portions of the dopant sourcefilm 206. The dopants D of the dopant source film 206 may be driven intothe semiconductive layer 204 in the first portion 204A during theannealing operation. In some embodiments, the exposed second portion204B may be undoped.

Referring to FIG. 7 and operation 104 in FIG. 1, the second portion 204Bof the semiconductive layer 204 and the tri-layer mask 205 are removedto form a patterned semiconductive layer 204′. In some embodiments, thetri-layer mask 205 may be removed by dry etching, wet etching, or acombination of dry and wet etching. In some embodiments, the doped firstportion 204A may have higher etching resistance than the undoped secondportion 204B. The second portion 204B of the semiconductive layer 204′may be removed by dry etching, wet etching, or a combination of dry andwet etching. In some embodiments, the second portion 204B may be removedby using NH₄OH, hydrofluoric acid (HF), tris-borate-ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (TBE), the like, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a distribution of the plurality of dopants D maycontrol a sidewall profile P1 of the first portion 204A after removingthe second portion 204B of the semiconductive layer 204′. Thedistribution of the plurality of dopants D in the first portion 204A maybe adjusted during the doping operation. In some embodiments, theplurality of dopants D may be formed by multiple operations. Forexamples, the plurality of dopants D may be formed uniformly in thefirst portion 204A in the beginning, and then adjusting theconcentration in different location of the semiconductive layer 204′ bysubsequent doping operations. In some embodiments, a doping dosage offorming the dopants D may be higher in the beginning and may be lower inthe subsequent forming operations, and vice versa.

Referring to FIG. 7, in some embodiments, a concentration of theplurality of dopants D near a bottom surface S1 of the first portion204A is higher than a concentration of the plurality of dopants D near atop surface S2 of the first portion 204A. In some embodiments, theconcentration of the plurality of dopants D may gradually decrease fromthe bottom surface S1 to the top surface S2. In some embodiments, thesidewall profile P1 may be a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. Thebottom surface S1 of the first portion 204A is greater than the topsurface S2 of the first portion 204A. In some embodiments, the sidewallprofile P1 may define a gate trench or an opening profile O of thepatterned semiconductive layer 204′. For examples, while the sidewallprofile P1 has the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the openingprofile O has an inverse trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. These are,of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 11C illustrate different sidewall profilesof the patterned semiconductive layer 204′, in accordance with someother embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 11A, insome embodiments, a concentration of the plurality of dopants D near atop surface S2 of the first portion 204A of the patterned semiconductivelayer 204′ is higher than a concentration of the plurality of dopants Dnear a bottom surface S1 of the first portion 204A. The concentration ofthe plurality of dopants D may gradually decrease from the top surfaceS2 to the bottom surface S1. The sidewall profile Pr may be an inversetrapezoidal cross-sectional shape. The top surface S2 of the firstportion 204A is greater than the bottom surface S1 of the first portion204A.

Referring to FIG. 11B, in some embodiments, the concentration of theplurality of dopants D near the top surface S2 is highest and theconcentration of the plurality of dopants D in other portion is uniform,a sidewall L of the sidewall profile Pr may be curved according to thedistribution of the plurality of dopants D. In some embodiments, thesidewall L may be smoothly curved according to the distribution of theplurality of dopants D. In other embodiments, the sidewall L may includean included angle less than 180 degrees. In some embodiments, thesidewall L may have different slope at different sections according tothe distribution of the plurality of dopants D. For examples, the slopeof the sidewall L near the top surface S2 may be smaller than the slopeof the sidewall L near the bottom surface S1. In other embodiments, theconcentration of the plurality of dopants D near the bottom surface S1may be highest, and the slope of the sidewall L near the top surface S2may be smaller than the slope of the sidewall L near the bottom surfaceS1. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to belimiting.

Referring to FIG. 11C, in some embodiments, the plurality of dopants Dmay be formed uniformly in the first portion 204A. The sidewall profileP1′ may be a rectangular or square cross-sectional shape. The bottomsurface S1 of the first portion 204A is substantially the same with thetop surface S2 of the first portion 204A.

In one or more embodiments, a doping energy may also be adjusted tocontrol the sidewall profile P1, P1′ of the first portion 204A in FIG.7, FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 11C. In one or more embodiments, thedoping energy of FIG. 7 may be higher than the doping energy of FIG.11C, and the doping energy of FIG. 11C may be higher than the dopingenergy of FIG. 11A, and the doping energy of FIG. 11A may be similar tothe doping energy of FIG. 11B. These are, of course, merely examples andare not intended to be limiting.

In one or more embodiments, an over etching (OE) rate in the removingoperation of the second portion 204B may also control the sidewallprofile P1, P1′ of the first portion 204A in FIG. 7, FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B,and FIG. 11C. In one or more embodiments, the OE rate of FIG. 7 may besmaller than the OE rate of FIG. 11C, and the OE rate of FIG. 11C may besmaller than the OE rate of FIG. 11A, and the OE rate of FIG. 11A may besmaller than the OE rate of FIG. 11B. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting.

Referring to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the patterned semiconductivelayer 204′ is used as a mask layer for patterning the ILD 203. The ILD203 may be patterned by dry etching, wet etching, or a combination ofdry and wet etching. In some embodiments, the opening profile O formedby the doped semiconductive layer 204′ may be adjustable as describedabove, and thus the shape of the via hole T, trench, or gap formedthrough opening profile O may also be adjusted accordingly. In someembodiments, the via hole T may have, but not limited to, an inversetrapezoidal cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, the openingwidth of the via hole T may be enlarged with the doped semiconductivelayer 204′. In one or more embodiments, the via holes T may bepositioned according to the source/drain regions 201, or gate 202. Theseare, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B illustrate different profiles of via hole T′according to different patterned semiconductive layer 204″, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG. 12A, the opening profile O′ formed by semiconductive layer 204″ maybe a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. The via hole T′ may have, butnot limited to, an trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. In someembodiments, the bottom width of the via hole T′ may be enlarged withthe doped semiconductive layer 204″.

Referring to FIG. 12B, the opening profile O′ formed by semiconductivelayer 204″ may be an rectangular cross-sectional shape. The via hole T′may have, but not limited to, an rectangular cross-sectional shape. Insome embodiments, the bottom width of the via hole T′ may besubstantially the same with the opening width of the via hole T′.

Referring to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, a metal layer 207 and a spacerlayer 208 are formed in the via hole and the semiconductive layer 204′is removed. The metal layer 207 is electrically coupled to, but notlimited to, the source/drain regions 201. In some embodiments, thespacer layer 208 include oxide (e.g. silicon oxide), nitride (e.g.silicon nitride), or the like. The spacer layer 208 may be a singlelayer structure or a multi-layer structure.

Briefly, a doped semiconductive layer may be used as a mask layer. Insome embodiments of present disclosure, the sidewall profile of thepatterned semiconductive layer may be adjustable according to thedistribution of the dopants, and then an opening profile formed by thepatterned semiconductive layer may be adjustable accordingly. In someembodiments, the opening profile may be enlarged to alleviate the bridgeissue of the via hole in the subsequent operations.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a semiconductor device fabricated atsome stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a finstructure. The fin structure may be formed by a series of operations,and here is omitted for brevity. In some embodiments, a plurality of finregions 1201 and an oxide layer 1202 are formed on the semiconductorsubstrate 1200.

In some embodiments, a gate structure is formed on the fin regions 1201.The operations of forming the gate structure are discussed in detailbelow using the cross-sectional views along line A-A and line B-B.

FIG. 14A and FIG. 15A are cross-sectional views of a semiconductordevice fabricated at some stages along the line A-A in FIG. 13, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 14B andFIG. 15B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricatedat some stages along the line B-B in FIG. 13, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure. It is noted that the line A-A isalong with fin region and the B-B line crosses the fin regions and doesnot include the gate structure formed in the subsequent operations.

Referring to FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, similar to the operations in FIG. 2to FIG. 6, a semiconductive layer 1203 is formed over the semiconductorsubstrate 1200, and a tri-layer mask 1204 is formed and patterned overthe semiconductive layer 1203, and a plurality of dopants D are formedin the first portions 1203A of the semiconductive layer 1203. Thesemiconductive layer 1203, tri-layer mask 1204, and dopants D aresimilar to the semiconductor 204, tri-layer mask 205, and dopants D inFIG. 6, and here is omitted for brevity.

Referring to FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B, in some embodiments, before theremoving of the second portion 1203B of the doped semiconductive layer1203, a semiconductive layer 1205 and a plurality of mask layers 1206are formed on the semiconductive layer 1203. The semiconductive layer1205 may include silicon (S1), silicon germanium (SiGe), silicon carbide(SiC), silicon phosphide (SiP), silicon phosphorus carbide (SiPC), orother suitable semiconductor materials. In some embodiments, thesemiconductive layer 1205 may include the same or different materialsfrom the semiconductive layer 1203. In some embodiments, thesemiconductive layer 1205 is not doped as the semiconductive layer 1203.In other embodiments, the semiconductive layer 1205 may be doped with adifferent dopant distribution from the semiconductive layer 1203.Briefly, the semiconductor layer 1203 and 1205 are formed to havedifferent properties for the subsequent etching operations.

In some embodiments, the mask layers 1206 may include atetraethosiloxane (TEOS) layer, a nitride layer (e.g. silicon nitride),or a multi-layer structure with a combination thereof. The mask layers1206 is patterned to be aligned with the first portion 1203A of thesemiconductive layer 1203.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a semiconductor device fabricated atsome stages, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 17A, FIG. 18A, FIG. 19A, FIG. 20A, FIG. 21A and FIG.22A are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricated atsome stages along the line A-A in FIG. 16, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 17B, FIG. 18B, FIG. 19B, andFIG. 22B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device fabricatedat some stages along the line B-B in FIG. 16, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 16, FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B, a dummy gate structure 1207is formed on the fin regions 1201. The dummy gate structure 1207includes the patterned semiconductive layers 1203 and 1205. In someembodiments, a spacer 1901 is formed on two opposite sides of the dummygate structure 1207. The spacer 1901 may be made of dielectric materialsuch as oxide, nitride or the like. The spacer 1901 may besingle-layered or multi-layered.

The forming of the patterned semiconductive layer 1203 is similar toFIG. 7, FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 11C, and omitted here for brevity.In some embodiments, the semiconductive layer 1205 may be patterned bydry etching, wet etching, or a combination of dry and wet etching. Thesemiconductive layer 1205 may be patterned in the same or differentoperation from the semiconductive layer 1203. The mask layers 1206 areremoved after the semiconductive layer 1203 and 1205 are patterned.

In some embodiments, a sidewall profile P2 of the patternedsemiconductive layer 1205 is different from the sidewall profile P1 ofthe patterned semiconductive layer 1203. The sidewall profile P2 may bean inverse trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and the sidewall profile P1may be a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, anangle θ between a sidewall L1 of the patterned semiconductive layer 1203and a sidewall L2 of the patterned semiconductive layer 1205 is smallerthan 180 degrees. The combination of the sidewall profile P1 andsidewall profile P2 is used as the dummy gate structure 1207. In someembodiments, the combined shape of the sidewall profile P1 and sidewallprofile P2 is an hourglass shape. These are, of course, merely examplesand are not intended to be limiting. In some embodiments, the combinedshape of the sidewall profile P1 and sidewall profile P2 may have otherdifferent combinations depending on the desired configuration.

FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C illustrate different sidewall profilesof the patterned semiconductive layer 1203′ and 1205′, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 23A,in some embodiments, the sidewall profile Pr may be a rectangular orsquare cross-sectional shape. The sidewall profile P2′ may be arectangular or square cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, anangle θ between the sidewall L1 of the patterned semiconductive layer1203′ and the sidewall L2 of the patterned semiconductive layer 1205′may be substantially equal to 180 degrees. In some embodiments, thedummy gate structure 1207′ is a rectangular or square shape.

Referring to FIG. 23B, in some embodiments, the sidewall profile P1′ andP2′ may be an inverse trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. In someembodiments, an angle θ between the sidewall L1 of the patternedsemiconductive layer 1203′ and the sidewall L2 of the patternedsemiconductive layer 1205′ may be substantially equal to 180 degrees. Insome embodiments, the dummy gate structure 1207′ is a taperedrectangular shape.

Referring to FIG. 23C, in some embodiments, the sidewall profile P1′ andP2′ may be an inverse trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. The differencebetween FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C is that an angle θ between a sidewall L1of the patterned semiconductive layer 1203′ and the sidewall L2 of thepatterned second semiconductive layer 1205′ may be greater than 180degrees in FIG. 23C.

Referring to FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B, in some embodiments, the fin regions1201 of semiconductor substrate 1200 uncovered by the patternedsemiconductive layer 1207 are partially removed. A recess may be formedon the fin regions 1201 and a semiconductor is deposited on the recessof the fin regions 1201 to form a pair of source/drain regions 1208. Thesource/drain regions 1208 may be deposited by epitaxial growth. In someembodiments, the source/drain regions 1208 is selected to have a largeror smaller lattice constant than the semiconductor of the channelregion.

Referring to FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B, a contact etch stop layer (CESL)1902 and a dielectric layer 1903 are formed. The CESL 1902 may be formedof silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), and/or othersuitable materials. The dielectric layer 1903 may be an inter-layerdielectric (ILD). The dielectric layer 1903 may include silicon oxide(SiO_(x)), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or a low k material. These are, ofcourse, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In someembodiments, there may be more intermediate layers formed in-between.The CESL 1902 and the dielectric layer 1903 may be partially removed,for example by a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) or the like, to exposethe dummy gate structure. Referring to FIG. 20A, in some embodiments,the dummy gate structure is removed to form a gate trench 2001.

Referring to FIG. 21A, in some embodiments, a gate dielectric 2100, awork function metal 2101 and a metal gate fill material 2102 may beformed in the gate trench 2001. A planarization operation such as CMPoperation is then performed to remove excessive work function metal 2101and metal gate fill material 2102 over the dielectric layer 1903,forming the gate structure G. In some embodiments, the planarization mayremove materials deposited outside of the trench structure. In someembodiments, the gate structure G includes the work function metal 2101and the metal gate fill material 2102 functioned as gate electrode.

The work function metal 2101 may be a multi-layer structure. In someembodiments, the work function metal 2101 may be any metal materialsuitable for forming a metal gate or portion thereof, including workfunction layers, liner layers, interface layers, seed layers, adhesionlayers, barrier layers, etc. The work function metal 2101 may includeone or more layers including Titanium (Ti), Titanium Nitride (TiN),Tantalum Nitride (TaN), Tantalum (Ta), Tantalum Carbide (TaC), TantalumSilicon Nitride (TaSiN), Tungsten (W), Tungsten Nitride (WN), MolybdenumNitride (MoN), Molybdenum Oxide Nitride (MoON), Ruthenium Oxide (RuO₂),and/or other suitable materials. The metal gate fill material 2102 maybe deposited to substantially or completely fill the remainder of thetrench. In some embodiments, the metal gate fill material 2102 mayinclude titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum(Al), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu),nickel (Ni), and/or other suitable materials.

The gate structure G of the semiconductor device 30 may include a bottomportion G1 and a top portion G2 over the bottom portion G1. In someembodiments, the sidewall L1 of the bottom portion G1 is oblique to atop surface 1200S of the semiconductor substrate 1200. In someembodiments, the profile of the gate structure G may be substantiallythe same with the profile of the dummy gate structure 1207 as describedin FIG. 17A, FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B or FIG. 23C. In some embodiments, theprofile of the work function metal 2101 of the gate structure G may besubstantially the same with the profile of the dummy gate structure asdescribed in FIG. 17A, FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B or FIG. 23C. In someembodiments, the profile of the metal gate fill material 2102 may berectangular or square. In other embodiments, the profile of the metalgate fill material 2102 may also be substantially the same with theprofile of the dummy gate structure 1207 as described in FIG. 17A, FIG.23A, FIG. 23B or FIG. 23C.

In some embodiments, the profile of the bottom portion G1 may be relatedto the sidewall profile P1, P1′ as described in FIG. 17A, FIG. 23A, FIG.23B or FIG. 23C and the profile of the top portion G2 may be related tothe sidewall profile P2, P2′ as described in FIG. 17A, FIG. 23A, FIG.23B or FIG. 23C. In some embodiments, the bottom portion G1 may includea trapezoidal cross-sectional shape or an inverse trapezoidalcross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, the angle θ between thesidewall L1 of the bottom portion G1 and the sidewall L2 of the topportion G2 is smaller than 180 degrees.

FIG. 24A, FIG. 24B, and FIG. 24C are the sidewall profiles of the gatestructure G′, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, the profile of the gate structure G′may be substantially the same with the profile of the dummy gatestructure 1207′ as described in FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B, and FIG. 23Crespectively. In some embodiments, the profile of the bottom portion G1′may be related to the sidewall profile P1′ as described in FIG. 23A,FIG. 23B, and FIG. 23C respectively, and the profile of the top portionG2′ may be related to the sidewall profile P2′ as described in FIG. 23A,FIG. 23B, and FIG. 23C respectively.

Referring to FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B, in some embodiments, a dielectriclayer 2201 is formed over the gate structure G. A plurality ofconductive vias 2202 are formed in the dielectric layer 1903 and 2201 toelectrically connect the gate structure G with the metal lines 2203, andto electrically connect the source/drain regions 1208 with the metallines 2203. In some embodiments, salicide (not shown) can be formedbetween the conductive via 2202 and the source/drain regions 1208 forreducing contact resistance. The forming of the conductive vias 2202 aresimilar to the operations described in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5,FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 11C,FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B, and here is omitted for brevity.

Examples of devices that can benefit from one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure are semiconductor devices such as, for example butnot limited, a planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET) or a fin FET (FinFET) device. The FinFET device, for example,may be a complementary MOS (CMOS) device including a p-type MOS FinFETdevice and an n-type MOS FinFET device. It is understood that theapplication should be not limited to a particular type of device, exceptas specifically claimed.

In one or more embodiments of present disclosure, a plurality of dopantsmay be formed in a semiconductive layer used as a mask layer or a dummygate structure. The sidewall profile of the patterned semiconductivelayer may be adjustable according to the distribution of the dopants. Inone or more embodiments of present disclosure, the dummy gate structuremay be formed by a non-doped top portion and a doped bottom portion. Insome embodiments, the sidewall profile of the dummy gate structure maybe adjustable with the doped bottom portion. In some embodiments, afterremoving the dummy gate structure, the aspect ratio and criticaldimension of the gap profile may be improved, and thus the gap fillability for the gate structure may be improved. In one or moreembodiments of present disclosure, while the doped semiconductive layerused as a mask layer, an opening profile formed by the dopedsemiconductive layer may be adjustable accordingly. In some embodiments,the opening profile may be enlarged and the bridge issue of the via holein the subsequent operations may be alleviated. The profile of the gatestructure of the semiconductor device can be controlled to a desiredshape, which allows to improve gap filling ability of the gate material,and allows to modulate the characteristics of the semiconductor device.

According to some embodiments of present disclosure, a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includesfollowing operations. A semiconductor substrate is received. A firstsemiconductive layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate. Aplurality of dopants is formed in a first portion of the firstsemiconductive layer. A second portion of the first semiconductive layeris removed to form a patterned first semiconductive layer. A firstsidewall profile of the first portion after the removing of the secondportion of the first semiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting adistribution of the plurality of dopants in the first portion. Anunderneath layer is patterned to form a hole in the underneath layerusing the patterned first semiconductive layer as a mask to pattern. Asidewall profile of the hole in the underneath layer is controlled bythe first sidewall profile of the first portion of the firstsemiconductive layer.

According to other embodiments of present disclosure, a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includesfollowing operations. A semiconductor substrate is received. A firstsemiconductive layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate. Aplurality of dopants is formed in a first portion of the firstsemiconductive layer. A concentration of the plurality of dopants near abottom surface of the first portion is higher than a concentration ofthe plurality of dopants near a top surface of the first portion. Asecond portion of the first semiconductive layer is removed to form apatterned first semiconductive layer. A first sidewall profile of thefirst portion after the removing of the second portion of the firstsemiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting a distribution of theplurality of dopants in the first portion. The first sidewall profileincludes a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device,comprising: receiving a semiconductor substrate; forming a firstsemiconductive layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming aplurality of dopants in a first portion of the first semiconductivelayer; removing a second portion of the first semiconductive layer toform a patterned first semiconductive layer, wherein a first sidewallprofile of the first portion after the removing of the second portion ofthe first semiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting a distributionof the plurality of dopants in the first portion; and using thepatterned first semiconductive layer as a mask to pattern an underneathlayer to form a hole in the underneath layer, wherein a sidewall profileof the hole in the underneath layer is controlled by the first sidewallprofile of the first portion of the first semiconductive layer.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a concentration of the plurality of dopantsnear a bottom surface of the first portion is higher than aconcentration of the plurality of dopants near a top surface of thefirst portion, and the first sidewall profile comprises a trapezoidalcross-sectional shape.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein a concentrationof the plurality of dopants near a top surface of the first portion ishigher than a concentration of the plurality of dopants near a bottomsurface of the first portion, and the first sidewall profile is curved.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the plurality of dopantsin the first portion comprises: forming a mask layer over the firstsemiconductive layer, wherein the mask layer exposes the first portionof the first semiconductive layer; and performing an ion implantation toform the plurality of dopants in the first portion exposed from the masklayer.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the plurality ofdopants in the first portion comprises: forming a dopant source film onthe first semiconductive layer; forming a thermal transferring patternover the dopant source film, wherein the thermal transferring pattern isaligned with the first portion of the first semiconductive layer; andperforming an annealing operation to drive in the plurality of dopantsfrom the dopant source film into the first semiconductive layer.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein before the removing the second portion of thefirst semiconductive layer, the method further comprises: forming asecond semiconductive layer on the first semiconductive layer; andpatterning the second semiconductive layer to form a patterned secondsemiconductive layer, wherein a second sidewall profile of the patternedsecond semiconductive layer is different from the first sidewallprofile.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein a combined shape of the firstsidewall profile and the second sidewall profile comprises rectangular,tapered rectangular or hourglass shape.
 8. A method of manufacturing asemiconductor device, comprising: receiving a semiconductor substrate;forming a first semiconductive layer over the semiconductor substrate;forming a plurality of dopants in a first portion of the firstsemiconductive layer, wherein a concentration of the plurality ofdopants near a bottom surface of the first portion is higher than aconcentration of the plurality of dopants near a top surface of thefirst portion, wherein the forming of the plurality of dopants in thefirst portion further comprises: forming dopant source film on the firstsemiconductive layer; forming a thermal transferring pattern over thedopant source film, wherein the thermal transferring pattern is alignedwith the first portion of the first semiconductive layer; and performingan annealing operation to drive in the plurality of dopants from thedopant source film into the first semiconductive layer; and removing asecond portion of the first semiconductive layer to form a patternedfirst semiconductive layer, wherein a first sidewall profile of thefirst portion after the removing of the second portion of the firstsemiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting a distribution of theplurality of dopants in the first portion, and the first sidewallprofile comprises a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, further comprising using the patterned first semiconductivelayer as a mask to pattern an underneath layer to form a hole in theunderneath.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein a sidewall profile of thehole in the underneath layer is controlled by the first sidewall profileof the first portion of the first semiconductive layer.
 11. The methodof claim 8, wherein before the removing the second portion of the firstsemiconductive layer, the method further comprises: forming a secondsemiconductive layer on the first semiconductive layer; and patterningthe second semiconductive layer to form a patterned secondsemiconductive layer, wherein a second sidewall profile of the patternedsecond semiconductive layer is different from the first sidewallprofile.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein a combined shape of thefirst sidewall profile and the second sidewall profile comprisesrectangular, tapered rectangular or hourglass shape.
 13. A method ofmanufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: receiving a substrate;forming a first semiconductive layer over the substrate; forming adopant source film on the first semiconductive layer; forming a thermaltransferring pattern over the dopant source film; and performing anannealing operation to drive in a plurality of dopants from the dopantsource film into the first semiconductive layer to form the plurality ofdopants in a first portion of the first semiconductive layer, whereinthe first portion of the first semiconductive layer is aligned with thethermal transferring pattern.
 14. the method of claim 13, furthercomprising removing a second portion of the first semiconductive layerto form a patterned first semiconductive layer, wherein a first sidewallprofile of the first portion after the removing of the second portion ofthe first semiconductive layer is controlled by adjusting a distributionof the plurality of dopants in the first portion.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein before the removing of the second portion of the firstsemiconductive layer, the method further comprises: forming a secondsemiconductive layer on the first semiconductive layer; and patterningthe second semiconductive layer to form a patterned secondsemiconductive layer, wherein a second sidewall profile of the patternedsecond semiconductive layer is different from the first sidewallprofile.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein a combined shape of thefirst sidewall profile and the second sidewall profile comprisesrectangular, tapered rectangular or hourglass shape.
 17. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising replacing the patterned firstsemiconductive layer and the second semiconductive layer with a metalgate structure.
 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising using thepatterned first semiconductive layer as a mask to pattern an underneathlayer to form a hole in the underneath.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein a sidewall profile of the hole in the underneath layer iscontrolled by the first sidewall profile of the first portion of thefirst semiconductive layer.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein aconcentration of the plurality of dopants near a bottom surface of thefirst portion is different from a concentration of the plurality ofdopants near a top surface of the first portion.